Bangladesh tragedy spurs nationwide probe of garment factories

By Katie Hunt and Aliza Kassim, CNN

Updated 10:24 AM ET, Mon April 29, 2013

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Members of the Bangladesh army pray at the site of the collapsed Rana Plaza in Savar near Dhaka on Tuesday, May 14. The army-led effort to search for bodies has ended nearly three weeks after the nine-story building collapsed. The final death toll stands at 1,127.

Hide Caption

1 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Relatives of missing garment workers offer prayers in front of the rubble on May 14 in Savar.

Hide Caption

2 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh – A white board at the recovery command center near the disaster is used to track the death toll on Monday, May 13.

Hide Caption

3 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Heavy equipment sifts through the rubble of the garment factory building collapse on Sunday, May 12.

Hide Caption

4 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman cries holds a portrait of a missing relative believed to be trapped in the rubble of the Rana Plaza building on Saturday, May 11.

Hide Caption

5 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi garment worker Reshma Begum, a seamstress who survived 16 days trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building, rests in Savar Cantonment Hospital on the outskirts of Dhaka on May 11.

Hide Caption

6 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Relatives search through a long line of covered decomposing bodies to try to identify their family members on May 11.

Hide Caption

7 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers retrieve Reshma from the rubble in Savar, Bangladesh, on Friday, May 10. She got rescue workers' attention by waving an iron rod. She was found in a pool of water, which allowed her to stay alive.

Hide Caption

8 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – An injured worker who survived the building collapse is carried by her husband to collect her wages in Savar near Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Wednesday, May 8.

Hide Caption

9 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Garment workers who survived the building collapse line up to collect their salaries in Savar on May 8.

Hide Caption

10 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Workers continue rescue and recovery operations on Tuesday, May 7, nearly two weeks after the Rana Plaza building's collapse outside Dhaka.

Hide Caption

11 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers recover a body from the rubble on May 7.

Hide Caption

12 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Relatives place a body in the back of a truck on May 7.

Hide Caption

13 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman attempts to identify one of the bodies kept in a schoolyard on May 7.

Hide Caption

14 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Members of the Bangladeshi army and firefighters carry the body of a garment worker from the scene of the building collapse in Savar, outside Dhaka, on Sunday, May 5.

Hide Caption

15 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman holds a portrait of her missing relative as she sleeps on Saturday, May 4.

Hide Caption

16 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Relatives attempt to identify the bodies of loved ones on May 4.

Hide Caption

17 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers dig out debris from the Rana Plaza building as Bangladeshi army personnel continue the second phase of a rescue operation using heavy equipment on Friday, May 3.

Hide Caption

18 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman reacts on May 3 after identifying a body found in the rubble.

Hide Caption

19 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A man stands amid the destruction as rescue and army personnel continue recovery operations on May 3.

Hide Caption

20 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman holds up a picture of a missing person believed to be trapped in the rubble on May 3.

Hide Caption

21 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A garment worker rescued from the wreckage of the Rana Plaza building lies in a hospital in Dhaka on Thursday, May 2.

Hide Caption

22 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman weeps after identifying her daughter's body in the rubble in Savar on May 2.

Hide Caption

23 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers move debris as Bangladeshi army personnel continue the second phase of a rescue operation at the site of the collapsed building in Savar on May 2.

Hide Caption

24 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman mourns before a mass burial in Dhaka on Wednesday, May 1.

Hide Caption

25 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Unidentified bodies from the rubble lie on the ground as people gather for a mass burial in Dhaka on May 1.

Hide Caption

26 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Workers dig graves during a mass burial of unidentified garment workers on May 1.

Hide Caption

27 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Sohel Rana, owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza building, wears police-issued body armor and a helmet while being escorted to court in Dhaka on Tuesday, April 30. Rana was arrested near the Indian border, and protesters called for him to be hanged.

Hide Caption

28 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi troops carry the body of a garment worker out of the rubble of the collapsed Rana Plaza building in Savar on April 30.

Hide Caption

29 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Clothing with Joe Fresh labels lies in the debris on April 30.

Hide Caption

30 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Cranes operated by Bangladeshi army personnel work on Monday, April 29.

Hide Caption

31 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Firefighters try to control a blaze that started while they were trying to rescue a woman with heavy equipment on April 29.

Hide Caption

32 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi army personnel begin the second phase of the rescue operation using heavy equipment on April 29.

Hide Caption

33 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescuers look for survivors on Sunday, April 28. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society says the chances of finding anyone alive in the rubble at this date are remote.

Hide Caption

34 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman mourns on April 28 at the site of the building collapse in Savar.

Hide Caption

35 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers search for survivors on April 28.

Hide Caption

36 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Volunteers sleep before they begin more rescue operations on April 28.

Hide Caption

37 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers carry a victim's body recovered from the rubble on April 28.

Hide Caption

38 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Clothes lie in the rubble on Saturday, April 27.

Hide Caption

39 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – An arrested owner of a garment factory is escorted to an appearance at the court in Dhaka on April 27. Four people were arrested and four others are being questioned by police.

Hide Caption

40 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Relatives hold photos of missing and dead workers outside the factory April 27.

Hide Caption

41 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Two Bangladeshi women look at a board with notices posted of missing and dead workers on April 27.

Hide Caption

42 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi relatives and workers load a body onto a truck on April 27.

Hide Caption

43 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – An excavator operated by the Bangladeshi Army removes debris on April 26.

Hide Caption

44 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Volunteers and rescue workers conduct rescue operations on April 26.

Hide Caption

45 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers use textile as a slide to move bodies out of the rubble on April 26.

Hide Caption

46 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers look for trapped garment workers on April 26.

Hide Caption

47 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers stand on the rubble of the collapsed building on April 26.

Hide Caption

48 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers search the rubble for victims and survivors on April 26.

Hide Caption

49 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A rescue worker looks for trapped workers on April 26.

Hide Caption

50 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi army personnel recover a survivor from rubble on April 26, 48 hours after the collapse.

Hide Caption

51 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Volunteers and rescue workers assist in rescue operations on April 26.

Hide Caption

52 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A physician assists a survivor after he was recovered from the rubble on April 26.

Hide Caption

53 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Hide Caption

54 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Two bodies clutch each other in the rubble on Thursday, April 25.

Hide Caption

55 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – People rescue garment workers on April 25.

Hide Caption

56 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A Bangladeshi woman shows a picture of her missing daughter-in-law she believes is trapped in the collapsed building on April 25.

Hide Caption

57 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi firefighters cut a hole through concrete during rescue operations on April 25 in Savar, a suburb of Dhaka.

Hide Caption

58 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Volunteers and rescue workers work at the scene on April 25.

Hide Caption

59 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman appears devastated on April 25 after identifying the body of her husband killed in the building collapse.

Hide Caption

60 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi garment workers help evacuate a survivor by using a roll of fabric on April 24.

Hide Caption

61 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – People rescue garment workers on Wednesday, April 24, after the building caved in, leaving a chaotic mass of broken concrete and twisted metal.

Hide Caption

62 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Relatives who lost a brother mourn outside a hospital on April 24.

Hide Caption

63 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescuers help an injured garment worker to escape from the Rana Plaza building on the outskirts of Dhaka on April 24.

Hide Caption

64 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Civilians help an injured garment worker on April 24. Work was proceeding slowly to avoid causing further collapse, an official said.

Hide Caption

65 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers search for trapped garment workers in the Rana Plaza building on April 24.

Hide Caption

66 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – An injured Bangladeshi lies on the hospital floor on April 24.

Hide Caption

67 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – The injured receive treatment at a hospital on April 24.

Hide Caption

68 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – An injured person rests in a hospital bed on April 24.

Hide Caption

69 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – People wait anxiously on April 24 while rescuers search for survivors.

Hide Caption

70 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescuers help an injured person out of the seventh floor on April 24.

Hide Caption

71 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Civilians help out in rescue efforts at the collapsed building on April 24.

Hide Caption

72 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Hundreds watch the rescue operations on April 24.

Hide Caption

73 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – People search for garment workers trapped under the debris on April 24.

Hide Caption

74 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescuers help an injured worker on April 24.

Hide Caption

75 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A body is trapped under the damaged building on April 24.

Hide Caption

76 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman is carried away from the building on April 24.

Hide Caption

77 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – A rescue worker carries a worker to an ambulance on April 24.

Hide Caption

78 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Crowds gather around the collapsed building on April 24.

Hide Caption

79 of 80

Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh80 photos

Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescuers bring out an injured garment worker from the building's sixth floor.

Hide Caption

80 of 80

Story highlights

Death toll up to 398, Red Crescent Society says

Many were parents with children still waiting for them to come home, local editor says

Red Crescent says the chances of finding someone alive are very remote

Most of the factory workers were between ages 18 and 22, the editor says

Bangladesh's Cabinet decided to inspect the safety and security of all garment factories Monday after last week's deadly building collapse, state news reported.

At least 398 people were killed when a factory collapsed at Rana Plaza in Savar, a Red Crescent official told CNN, and up to 2,773 people survived.

Under the inspection plan, a committee led by a state minister would visit the factories and submit a report to the government about the safety measures, Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters.

The panel includes the ministries of home, labor, disaster management, textiles, defense, industries and environment.

M.S. Akbar, chairman of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, said the rescue operation might be completed by Tuesday or Wednesday. At least two bodies were pulled from the wreckage Monday, but no survivors were found.

Anger over building collapse

Just Watched

Thousands protest deadly collapse

Rescuers are now using heavy machinery to remove wreckage at the site of the collapsed building, suggesting the hunt for survivors of the disaster is coming to an end.

"It is hardest for those family members who do not know if their loved ones are dead or alive or trapped," Akbar said. The chances of finding more survivors were dim "unless there's a miracle."

Many workers hailed from the country's north

Most of the factory workers were between the ages of 18 and 22, said Morshed Ali Khan, editor of the local Daily Star newspaper. Most were impoverished residents from the country's northern region who went to the city to find work. Many were parents with children still waiting for them to come home.

Khan has seen several hundred families looking for loved ones each of the past five nights.

"A strong stench of rotting human flesh has taken over the scene. It is very hard to stand next to the site," he told CNN.

Yet children and their grandparents still waited at the scene Monday. They said they would camp out at the site until they get the body of their loved one, Khan said.

Some relatives have lost work while waiting at the site. Many sleep on the street or quietly clutch a photo. One man was talking to himself with a photo of his son in his hand.

Some have given up hope of finding their relatives alive.

"Yesterday a woman told me, 'I want the dead body of my daughter so I can take her dead body home to bury,' " Khan said.

Rescue efforts

Rescue teams have been combing through the debris since Wednesday morning, when the nine-story building collapsed and buried thousands of garment workers.

Sunday evening's rescue efforts were disrupted by reports that a fire had broken out as workers tried to cut through mangled metal trapping a woman identified only as Shahana.

Shahinul Islam of Bangladesh's Inter Services Public Relations -- a department of the Ministry of Defense -- told reporters that the fire was put out shortly afterward, but it was not clear what happened to the woman. Local media reports said she died.

The commercial building, containing five garment factories, several shops and a bank, was in Savar, about 45 kilometers (27 miles) from the capital, Dhaka.

Cracks had appeared in the building structure a day before the collapse, but garment workers were told to come in despite their concerns that the building was unsafe.

Authorities have arrested seven people: three factory owners; two government engineers; the owner of the building, Sohel Rana, a local leader of the ruling Awami League who was caught as he tried to flee the country; and Rana's father.

John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, told CNN that while people should be held accountable, Bangladesh's government and the garment industry must also take steps to protect their workers.

He said research conducted by Human Rights Watch indicated that there were only 18 inspectors for the 100,000 factories operating in and around Dhaka.

"What this tragedy really needs to result in is stricter labor laws, stricter safety laws and the government coming to terms with the reality that it can't just supply all these workers without giving those workers their rights.

"There are only so many tragedies like this that can happen before Western retailers and Western buyers ... realize that they are going to go elsewhere, not because they necessarily can get lower prices but because the scandal is too much."